Focal Points Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Magazine April 2022
Spring is Springing !
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Contents
Focal Points Magazine
4. Meetings and Outings 10. Joe's How-To 16. Member Photos 70. Black and White Pages 80. Contributors' Bios
Cover Photo Credit:
94. Notes and Announcements
Larry Miller
100. Photo of the Month
“I took this photo on March 18 while driving along CA Highways 58 & 223 between the towns of Keene and Arvin.”
101. Parting Shot
Focal Points Magazine Published monthly by the Angeles Chapter Sierra Club Camera Committee, John Nilsson, Editor. Questions and comments can be directed to John at 213-266-2224 or FocalPoints.sccc@gmail.com 2
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Notes from the Chairman I hope that other people like my work. I hope that some are surprised by the emotions they feel when they look at one of my photographs. Failing that, I’m happy when someone thinks my picture might look good over their couch. In sum, I like it when people appreciate what I create. There is another part of me that wants something different, though. Sometimes I want my work to be useful. By useful I mean that it serves some end beyond its aesthetic value. For example, I’ve contributed images of wildland fire damage to the Sierra Club through the image bank that John Nilsson maintains. Several can be found on the Angeles Chapter website and in its publications. John occasionally puts out a call for photographs, and I encourage you to reply.
Leave nothing but footprints, Take nothing but pictures, Kill nothing but time.
I’d like to do more. I’d like to be engaged in forward-thinking conservation projects, either visiting an active site or digging through my catalog to find suitable images. There are certainly a lot of non-profits and land trusts that might find them useful, but breaking the ice is difficult. Where do I begin? If you find yourself asking the same question, I encourage you to listen to the latest edition of the podcast F-Stop, Collaborate, and Listen. The guests are from the Wilderness Society, Mason Cummings and my old friend Greg Aplet. Mason is a photographer and Greg is a scientist, and they discuss how photographers like us can be useful.
https://www.mattpaynephotography.com/gallery/the-wilderness-society/
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Meetings and Meetings and Outings Outings
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Sierra Club Camera Committee --
Thursday, April 14, 2022 Meeting David Swindler specializes in landscape, wildlife, and night photography. He currently resides in Kanab, UT and runs guided photography tours to some of the most spectacular destinations in the Desert Southwest. Visit his tour website at http://www.ActionPhotoTours.com for more information. Always an avid outdoorsman, Mr Swindler has spent countless hours in the field. He first picked up photography as a way to share his outdoor adventures with others. Due to his background as an optics engineer in the semiconductor industry, photography came very easily to him. Since that time he has been passionate in capturing the beauties of the natural world in the best possible light. We hope you enjoy viewing the online gallery. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Zoom Link
Where:
In the comfort of your own home via Zoom
Provided before the presentation. See you there!
When: 7:00 PM
What:
The Zoom platform has recently been upgraded to provide high security and ease of operation. Be certain to download or upgrade to the latest vesion before the presentation!
A presentation by David Swindler 6
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Joe’s How-to
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Joe’s How-To
Adobe Lightroom’s New Masking Panel
My goal here is to give you a brief introduction to the new functions that I find the most useful. There is a lot I won’t include out of necessity, but I hope the omissions don’t discourage you from investigating further on your own. I’ve watched several videos about how to use the Masking Panel, and I encourage you to do the same. The Michael Frye ones are particularly good.
By Joe Doherty
Advancements in technology don’t always feel like progress. Bells and whistles that appeal to engineers complicate familiar software, to the consternation of users and their older computers. Now Adobe has released a major upgrade to Lightroom with the new Masking Panel, and my first reaction was, “Not again.”
The photograph I’ve selected for this demonstration is the Desert View Watchtower on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, just after sunset. It has a big blue sky, a distinct red tower, and a complicated foreground. In a photograph like this I begin with general adjustments to the exposure, contrast, and white balance to arrive at an overall pleasing image (Figure 1).
I’m happy to report that my initial reaction was unfounded. If all you want to do is use the old tools Brush, Radial Filter, and Gradient Filter - you can continue to do so with only a little adjustment from your old workflow (these are no longer “filters” but masks).
The Masking Panel is at the top of the Development Panel. Clicking the circle will open it up, and you should see a menu like the one in Figure 2a. The standard tools (Brush, Linear Gradient, Radial Gradient) are here, along with the new ones (Select Subject, Select Sky, Color Range, Luminance Range, and Depth Range). For my image of Desert View Watchtower I want to start by adjusting the sky, so I chose Select Sky. After grinding a bit, it produces a thumbnail of the mask. Changes using this mask will affect the parts of
The masking panel is so much more, though. It includes five new masking options – Subject, Sky, Color Range, Luminance Range, and Depth Range – that provide the kind of control that was only possible via luminance masking in Photoshop. In Lightroom I can now do almost everything I need short of high quality printing.
the image where the thumbnail is light, and not affect it where the thumbnail is dark (Figure 2b).
What does the masking panel do that is the same as before? As I mentioned, the Brush, Linear Masking, and Radial Masking tools are still available. The interface is a little different, but I think it makes the tool more useful. Instead of the masks being represented by dots on the image, the panel also displays the masks as layers which can be turned on and off, and adjusted separately. What’s new? The Masking Panel does a pretty good job of selecting the sky, or selecting a simple subject (this is still a little funky) for masking. You can also mask a Luminance Range (e.g., everything in the shadows of the forest so you can increase the exposure in those parts), and you can mask a Color Range (e.g., the red rocks along the bank of a creek in order to alter their hue). And the best thing about the new panel is that all of these can be combined to create refined masks. That’s what luminance masks do in Photoshop, but this is easier. 10
Figure 1. Dusk at Desert View Watchtower 10
Fig. 2b. Creating a new Select Sky mask disappears at this point, and I can see the effect of my adjustments on the masked areas.
My next goal is to increase the overall brightness and contrast of the Tower itself. I do not want my adjustment to bleed over into the sky or the ground, so I will create the mask in two steps. First, I’ll use the brush to make a general mask, and second I will use the “intersect with” option to limit my brushstrokes to the same red color as the rocks of the tower. I begin by using a masking brush to sloppily cover the tower (Figure 4a). I then right-click on the mask and choose “Intersect Mask with . . . Color Range” (Figure 4b). After selecting the color range option, my cursor turns into an eyedropper, which I then use to sample the color from the tower. After I sample, the rough parts of my brushwork are refined to cover just the tower (Figure 4c). Notice that it also cleans up the masking on the windows.
Figure 2a The Masking Panel The resulting mask appears in the main window as a transparent pink overlay (Figure 3). You can see that the algorithm selected the blue sky, feathered off a bit at the horizon, and completely ignored the Watchtower and the Canyon. In the days before masking I might have used the Highlights slider to darken the sky, but that technique leaves a halo around the darker objects. Since the Sky mask works on a pixel-by-pixel basis, we don’t need to worry about halos. Once I’m happy with the mask I start editing the image. The Masking Panel has its own set of adjustment sliders (exposure, contrast, etc.). The pink overlay
Figure 3. The Select Sky overlay is pink
Figure 4a. Creating a new Brush mask 11
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Figure 4b. Intersecting the Brush mask with the Color Range Mask.
Figure 5. Using te Brush mask to highlight the rock formation
Figure 4c. Before and After of Intersecting the Brush mask with the Color Range mask.
Figure 6. The final image after masing and adjusting the sky, the tower, and the rock fomation.
Finally, the tower is a pretty strong compositional element, and I need to balance it by bringing up the exposure in the bottom left corner. Specifically, I am going to highlight the rock formation in that area. I created a new brush mask and roughly highlighted the areas I want to brighten. (Figures 5a and 5b). I then used the White slider to brighten it up a bit. I’m not too worried about making an imprecise mask in this spot, but if I was I would intersect my brush work with the Luminance Range mask.
The end result is an image that is not hugely different from the original, but which has been improved significantly by the subtle adjustments with the masking tools (Figure 6). In the old days of 2021, I would have had to open the file in Photoshop to have this much control. That is no longer necessary. I can do all the masking I need in Lightroom, and do it quickly. I encourage you to spend a little time with it.
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www.joedohertyphotography.com 12
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WELCOME! The Sierra Club Camera Committee is an activity group within the Angeles Chapter, which we support through the medium of photography. Our goal is to show the natural beauty of our world as well as areas of conservation concerns and social justice. We do this through sharing and promoting our photography and by helping and inspiring our members through presentations, demonstration, discussion, as well as outings.
Become a member – subscribe to Focal Points Magazine Everyone is welcome at our meetings and on our outings. They can also see our magazine at no cost. However, only members can contribute to the Focal Points Magazine or participate in Member Shows or exhibits. Curious about what Focal Points Magazine looks like? Check out the most recent issue here .
Sierra Club's Mission Statement To explore,enjoy and protect the wild places To practice and promote responsible use of the Earth's ecosystem and resources To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment And to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives
Banner photo: © John Nilsson. all rights reserved
To join the Camera Committee or renew your membership, please send your contact information (at minimum your email address) with annual dues of $15 per individual or $25 per couple. Make the check payable to SCCC and mail it to: Joan Schipper – SCCC Membership 6100 Cashio Street Los Angeles, CA 90035
Meetings & outings Meetings are held on the second Thursday of even number months (February, April, June, August, October and December) at 7 PM. During Covid-19, our meetings are offered via the Zoom Meetings app. You will need to RSVP via our Calendar. See our Meetings page to see information about our upcoming meeting and links to some of our past meetings.
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Thu 4/14/22 7:00 PM
April Camera Committee meeting
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June Camera Committee meeting
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Thu 8/11/22 7:00 PM
August Camera Committee meeting Angeles Chp Camera Comm.
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Thu 10/13/22 7:00 PM
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(213) 387-4287 Sierra Club Angeles Chapter 3250 Wilshire Blvd. #1106 Los Angeles, CA 90010 View Google Map
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The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club welcomes your participation in its century of involvement in the enjoyment and protection of our planet's environment. The Angeles Chapter spans Los Angeles and Orange Counties in Southern California, with an extensive program of hikes/hiking, national and international travel, local conservation campaigns, political action, and programs for people of all ages. Copyright © Angeles Chapter Sierra Club
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This Month’s Member Photos
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Basil Katsaros ©2022 Basil Katsaros, All Rights Reserved
Cactus Bloom 16
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Late Afternoon in the Desert 17
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Desert Sunset - Tucson 18
©2022 Basil Kasaros
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Don’t Back Up!
s, All Rights Reserved
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White Water Draw ©2022 Basil Katsaros, All Rights Reserved
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Three Arms at Night
Tucson Desert Agave 21
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Butch Mazzuca
©2022 Butch Mazzuca, All Rights Reserved
Monument Valley
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©2022 Butch Mazzuca,
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All Rights Reserved
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Larry Miller © 2022 Larry Miller, All Rights Reserved
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I took these photos on March 18 while driving along CA Highways 58 & 223 between the towns of Keene and Arvin.
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© 2022 Larry Miller, All Rights Reserved
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John Clement All Photographs in this story ©2022 John Clement, All Rights Reserved
Orchard Blooms and Mt. Adams - Mt. Adams is actually located in Washington on the north side of the Columbia River Gorge about 35 miles north of Hood River.
Blooming View - The Laraway Barn with Mt. Hood on the south end of the valley. 30
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Hood River Valley Situated along the Columbia Gorge in north central Oregon, the 20-plus mile valley is a photographers delight! Bookend views of snow capped Mt. Adams to the north and Mt. Hood to the south provide amazing backdrops for the orchard lands that lie between. Spring is my favorite time to visit because the fruit tree blossoms paint a carpet of shades of white and peach colors across the valley. On my first tour of the valley ten years ago, Nicholas Bielemeier, Master Photographer took me on his guided tour sharing many of his favorite location throughout the valley. Over 200 barns dot the valley floor many with stunning mountain views. The mountains that run on the east and west sides of the valley are covered with balsam root and lupine during the spring. The fruit trees are predominately pear, making the valley the world leader in Anjou pear production. Enjoy my spring visions of the valley!
Ruthon Point - overlooking the Columbia Gorge to the west as spring showers lit by the morning sun provide a stunning rainbow to the grand vista. 31
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Smudge Pot Glow -The valley can get cold snaps so the smudge pots using smokeless oil can be occasionally used and provide interesting back drop to the glowing blossoms in the predawn light.
Iced Blossoms - another method of protecting the blossoms is to run the sprinkles in the orchards coating the blossoms with a thin coating of ice. 32
Hidden Horses-one of the biggest collections of carousel art from around the world is tucked away in a private collection in the valley.
Hood River Valley Sunrise - one of the many red barns of the valley with a majestic view of Mt. Hood 33
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Tulips and Mt. Hood
Morning Light at Peterson Barn 34
©2022 John Clement, All Rights Reserved
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St. Nick Cloud - lenticular clouds often form over the valley and Mt. Hood providing interesting cloud shapes.
On Time/Late - one week can make a big difference in your images during spring bloom. 35
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Morro Bay
Morro Bay and the surrounding area is my favorite place to visit, relax, and just spend time photographing the natural beauty that is everywhere and ever-changing. Each time I go there, the canvas is still there, but the light and colors are always shifting and presenting the landscapes in new and enticing ways. Last October I ventured there once again, having outrun the Cyclone bomb that had interrupted my assignment in the Central Valley, I found some safe harbor in Baywood Park, on the south end of the bay. I was able to spend a few days photographing at two locations that always offer dramatic vistas. Spooner Cove in Montaña de Oro State Park is a prelude to the Big Sur Coast lying just north of Morro Bay, and provides stunning sunset views and ragged rocky cliffs to capture the pounding breakers. Just north of Morro Rock, Morro Strand State Beach offers the best views of the rock, and one evening it even enticed me to wade waist deep into the surf and capture a vibrant shot of the waves near the rock. One afternoon I rented a bike with fat tires and cycled on the sand a few miles up the beach. It wasthere I made my grand discovery of the trip: a miniature version of Moro Rock jutting out of the sand, just waiting to be perfectly framed with its larger volcanic plug cousin in the distance. A mini-me Morro Rock.
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Peter Bennett
All photos in this Story © 2022, Peter Bennett, All Rights Reserved
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©2022 Peter Bennet
©2022 Peter Bennett, All Rights Reserved
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tt, All Rights Reserved
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www.citizenoftheplanet.com
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Bob Cates ©2022 Bob Cates, All Rights Reserved
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Flowers of Prunus mume ‘Bonita’ (Flowering Apricot) in the Chinese Garden. Huntington Library, 2022-01-19.
Slipper Orchid (Cypripedioideae). Huntington Li-
Camellia japonica (Tama Electra). Huntington Library, 2022-01-19.
Wax-like petals of an unidentified camellia species. Huntington Library, 2022-01-19.
brary, 2022-02-04.
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Botanically speaking, the winter months may seem a poor time for photographing flowering plants, but our mild season has brought forth a good bloom, particularly at two of my favorite haunts, the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, and Descanso Gardens. Besides the ever-dependable winter-blooming camellias, there were the early-season Asian fruit trees, both hot-house and outdoor orchids, and even a beautiful Honey Fungus.
Fallen glories in the North Vista Fountain. Huntington Library, 2022-02-21.
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Camellia ‘Fire Chief’. Huntington Library, 2022-02-18.
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Camellia japonica (Pink Perfection). Descanso Gardens, 2022-02-23.
Armillaria mellea (Honey Fungus) decomposing two stumps near Japanese Garden overlook. Huntington Library, 2022-01-19.
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A Trip to Valley of Fire State Park, NV
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Susan Manley ©2022 Susan Manley, All Rights Reserved
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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE
MAY 2015
©2022 Suzan M All Rights Rese
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Manley, erved
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John Nilsson
SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE
©2022 John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved
Just hanging around with the guys at the lake....standing on one foot.
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MAY 2015
SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE
MAY 2015
A Trip to the Great Salt Lake A few more images from my late January trip to Utah. We had no trouble at all finding birds!
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SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE
Two shots of a Gull’s dinner time - a fraction of a second apart
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MAY 2015
SIERRA CLUB ANGELES CHAPTER CAMERA COMMITTEE
MAY 2015
Assisted carrier take-off
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And some Snow Geese wintering in Arizona (Snow Birds)....
©2022 John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved
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John Fisanotti ©2022 John Fisanotti, All Rights Reserved
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Joshua Tree National Park
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©2022 John Fisanotti, All Rights Reserved
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This last January I took a 12 day driving trip to Arches National Park. I’ve prepared an .mp4 presentation of this trip. which can be viewed at:
https://vimeo.com/692344219
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Steve Cohen ©2022 Steve Cohen, All Rights Reserved
Here are some images of my 10-year project photographing Santa Monica at night. I had to stop a year and a half ago because of Covid but now I am going again and almost completely better. I have spent many hours at night making images using my Nikon D850 camera mounted on my tripod. Most of these images were made using my Nikon 28-70 2.8 lens, an older forerunner of the new 24-70 lens but this particular lens is just as sharp as the new 24-70 and a lot cheaper. This lens can be found on Ebay for between $500-700 dollars, a bargain. Many times I go out at night and just drive around looking for interesting images and I only make an image when a place appeals to me and satisfies the requirements of an interesting night shot. When I find an interesting place I spend a lot of time setting up how I am going to make the image. I really like to make these images at night because I end up with colors that we do not see normally and this is a great interest for me. I have been working towards a book with this project but because I got sick I had to put this project on hold. Now I am completely better and I will be found roaming around Santa Monica at night looking for interesting places to photograph. I have found several new places but I am just getting to the point where I can handle the work. I have about 75 images as of now but I want to add another 75 images before I start putting a book together. I have been going out alone up to now but I would welcome some company in the future. 60
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©2022, Steve Cohen, All Rights Reserved
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©2022 Steve Cohen, All Rights Reserved
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Velda Ruddock ©2022 Velda Ruddock, All Rights Reserved
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Ranunculus Magic
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The Black and White Pages
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Santa Rosa Plateau Reserve in Riverside County.
John Fisanotti Nikon D700 Nikkor 24-70, f/2.78@24mm 1/350@f/9.5 ISO 200
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Hello down there!
John Nilsson Sony a1 Sony FE 70-200 F4 G OSS @ 200mm f/5.0 @ 1/1250 ISO 1000
©2022 John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved
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Highway Yucca
Basil Katsaros Nikon D850 Tamron SP 24 -70 F/2.8DiVc USD 1640 @ f/18 ISO 1,000
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Into the Storm
Butch Mazzuca Canon EOS-1D X EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @ 55mm f/14 @1/640 ISO 400
©2022 Butch Mazz
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zuca, All Rights Reserved
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Contributor Bios
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Steve Anderson
John Clement
Steve worked primarily in the conventional
John began his career in photography in the early 70’s after graduating from Central Washington University with a double major in Geology and Geography. Since then he has earned a Masters of Photography from the Professional Photographers of America. He has received over 65 regional, national and international awards for his pictorial and commercial work. His photographs grace the walls of many businesses in the Northwest and has been published in numerous calendars and coffee table books.
medium of Black and White silver-based photography for many years as he explored the natural landscape of the local San Gabriel Mountains and his beloved High Sierra in California. In the last 20 years he has engaged in digital photography as it has opened up new avenues and excitement about making images of the natural scene. His interest in photography began in junior high school when he developed his first roll of film from a Kodak Brownie camera. He became very interested in combining photography and traveling adventures as a member of the Highlanders, a mountaineering club at Pasadena City College. His work turned more serious during military service as the landscape became his focus of attention.
He has provided photographs for Country Music Magazine and for Northwest Travel Magazine. He has supplied murals for the Seattle Seahawks Stadium and images for The Carousel of Dreams in Kennewick, WA. Current projects include 17 – 4x8 foot glass panels featuring his landscapes in Eastern Washington for the Pasco Airport Remodel. Last year he finished a major project for the Othello Medical Clinic where almost 200 images were used to decorate the facilities ranging in size from 24” to 35’ in size. His work can be viewd at:
Steve’s interest in the environmental movement, starting in his college days, led him to actively seek ways of using his photography to help in a personally significant way. He joined the Mono Lake Committee 40 years ago and has been an active leader in the Sierra Club since 1981. He served as the chairperson of the Camera Committee of the Angeles Chapter for 5 years.
www.johnclementgallery.com John Clement Photography Face Book Professional page The Kiona Winery in Benton City, and at Allied Arts Gallery in Richland, WA.
Steve’s images have appeared in Sierra, the Southern Sierran, Images of the West, A Portrait of Bodie, and the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Schedule of Activities. Some of his monochrome images were significant contributions to help save Mono Lake. He has had work shown in a number of local galleries. Steve was the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Artist in Residence in 2015. Steve has published four photography books that are available through Blurb.com. “My images sum up my feelings about the grandeur of nature. It is never just one thing that touches me when I try to capture a moment, but always a vast array of emotional and photographic textures. Most of my images are therefore complex and detailed.” Email: sandersonimagery@outlook.com Viewingwebsite:www.pbase.com/spanderson 80
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JW Doherty
John Fisanotti
Joe Doherty grew up in Los Angeles and developed his first roll of film in 1972. He has been a visual communicator ever since. He spent his teens and twenties working in photography, most of it behind a camera as a freelance editorial shooter.
As a youth, John’s interest in photography stemmed from an interest in astronomy. His first photos were attempts to photograph the night sky using a folding Kodak camera, that once belonged to an uncle. Later, John used a 35mm rangefinder camera to photograph nature, particularly the San Gabriel Mountains above his home in La Crescenta. After high school, John sold his telescope to purchase a 35mm SLR camera outfit. John was a photography major in his first three years of college. He has used 35mm, 2-1/4 medium format and 4x5 view cameras. John expected to be a commercial photographer. His personal work leaned heavily to shooting landscapes and outdoors. In 1977 John changed majors. After graduating from California State University Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Studies in 1979, John’s first post job college was in a commercial photo laboratory. In 1980, he pivoted from photography and began his 32-year career in public service. John worked for four Southern California cities in city planning, community development and redevelopment, and concluded his career as a Project Manager for the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. During these decades, he continued to shoot outdoor scenic images whenever possible. After retiring from public service in 2012, John has pursued his astronomical and photographic interests. Beginning in 2013, John has been a telescope operator for the 60" reflector telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory. And John has increased his photographic portfolio concentrating on outdoors, landscape, travel and astronomical images. Beginning in 2018, he has expanded his repertoire to include architectural and real estate photography. Occasionally, John has been fortunate to have photographs selected for various exhibitions or publications. He currently shoots with Nikon DSLR cameras. John’s photographic websites:
He switched careers when his son was born, earning a PhD in political science from UCLA specializing in American politics and research methods. This led to an opportunity to run a research center and teach at UCLA Law, where he became best known as an empirical bankruptcy scholar. After retiring from UCLA in 2016 he continued to consult, but now he and his wife Velda Ruddock spend much of their time in the field, across the West, capturing the landscape.
Landscape, Travel and Astronomical images http://www.johnfisanottiphotography.com; Architectural and Real Estate photography are at http://www.architecturalphotosbyfisanotti.com. Contact John at either jfisanotti@sbcglobal.net or fisanottifotos@gmail.com. 81
Phil Witt
Velda Ruddock
Phil Witt has been photographing nature since he got his first SLR camera in the late 70s. An avid birder, he is a volunteer at the Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary of NJ Audubon in Bernardsville, where he coleads the photography workshop series. He is currently on NJ Audubon’s Board of Directors. He is a past president of the Camera Naturalist Photo Club, and program chair of the Somerset County Camera Club. He judges photography competitions and presents instructional programs at photography clubs throughout New Jersey. He received the NJ Federation of Camera Club’s 2017 Citation for service to photography in the state.
Creativity has always been important to me. I received my first Brownie camera for my twelfth birthday and I can’t remember a time I’ve been without a camera close at hand. I studied the social sciences and art, and later earned a Masters degree in Information and Library Science degree. All of my jobs allowed me to be creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative. For the last 22 years of my research career I was Director of Intelligence for a global advertising and marketing agency. TBWA\ Chiat\Day helped clients such as Apple, Nissan, Pepsi, Gatorade, Energizer, and many more, and I was considered a leader in my field.
He and his wife enjoy traveling the world for photography--Antarctica, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Iceland, Costa Rica, among others.
During our time off, my husband, Joe Doherty and I would travel, photographing family, events and locations. However, in 2011 we traveled to the Eastern Sierra for the fall colors, and although we didn’t realize it at the time, when the sun came up over Lake Sabrina, it was the start of change in our careers.
When not birding or photographing, he is a (mostly retired) forensic psychologist, specializing in legal cases and court testimony. https://philwitt.smugmug.com
By 2016 we had both left our “day jobs,” and we started traveling – and shooting nature – big and small – extensively. Our four-wheel drive popup camper allowed us to go to areas a regular car can’t go and we were – and are – always looking for our next adventure.
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Susan Manley
Paul Reinstein
Susan Manley has more than 35 years experience as a photographer. Her career consisted mainly working in a Communications Department writing and shooting a wide variety of public relations and photojournalism photos. Since she retired approximately ten years ago, she switched her focus onto nature photography including landscapes and wildlife in America.
I have two lifelong hobbies; photography and fine woodworking. My father fostered both those interests. At 14, right before I went on a 1 week backpacking trip around Yosemite Valley with my friend Joe (16) who could drive, my father taught me the basics of using a camera on an Olympus camera that shot half frames on 35mm film. Can you imagine allowing a 14 year old to do that in today’s world? By 20, I was fully independent. In my 20s, I bought a Minolta SRT101, and I also started dabbling in woodworking as a way to have simple furniture while working my way through college (Biochemistry, UCLA). I even had a simple B&W darkroom for a while. I shot mostly landscapes. After getting my degree, I decided I didn’t like working in that field, so I went back to school, and worked my way through a masters degree (Electronics Engineering, CSULB). I spent the majority of my career at The Aerospace Corp, working mostly on electrical power systems for rockets and satellites for the Air Force, NASA and the NRO. During that time, when not working, I began focusing mostly on fine woodworking, shooting occasional snapshots. By 50, my woodshop was enviable, my wife and I were flipping homes on the side, I was a manager at work, and digital cameras reignited my interest in photography. When the music stopped in real estate, we built our own home in Mar Vista. Then, my boss, and his boss both died unexpectedly (and independently), a huge layoff was announced, and I was retired. I got my general contractor’s license, and tried that for a couple of years. I retired fully at 60, earlier than I would have imagined.
ssnmanley@Yahoo.com
By 2016, I had amassed a number of bird photos, just by happenstance, so I decided to see what I could get that number up to, just for fun. That turned out to be eminently satisfying, albeit expensive, and now I spend much of my time shooting birds locally or travelling worldwide to do so. My big birding trips so far include the Galapagos and the UK, and my list is presently up to about 350 species, and I have a small presence on Instagram and on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/preinstein54/. I’ve sold a few images upon request, several of my friends have my images on their walls, and I still dabble in woodworking, including making my own frames.
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Jeff Gottesman
Wiebe Gortmaker
I first became interested in photography back in high school sometime in the last century. My father worked for many years in a professional camera store in Pittsburgh (Kadet Photo Supply) where he did the picture framing.
I am based in Boulder, Colorado and consider myself a full-time hobbyist. After retiring from the airlines, I have devoted a high percentage of my time to travel and learning photography.
I spent a few summers working in that camera store mostly doing shipping and receiving but every chance I got, I would be talking with and learning from the salesmen who knew everything about cameras and photography.
In the past few years I have moved from travel photography to primarily wildlife and landscape photography. Prior to the airlines, I spent considerable time in remote areas of Alaska and Central and South America. I am now able to revisit those places with a focus on photography.
At the end of the summer they gave me a used Pentax Spotmatic 500 and there began my love of photography. I did all the shooting and darkroom work for my high school yearbook and later as a photographer and writer for college newspapers. At the same time, I developed a love of nature and graduated college with a degree in Geology (with several electives in Photography). That was where all the environmentalists spent their time.
I have lived in Colorado since college and spent a lot of time flying, hiking, and climbing in the wild places in my back yard. With my new hobby I am looking at these places in a new way, trying to preserve the image and feelings I have of the wildlife and landscape. This process motivates me to learn and discover.
The love of nature and photography were a perfect match and after retiring from IT a few years ago (there was a career change somewhere in there) I’ve returned to those early loves and am able to spend a lot more time on photography, enjoying workshops and especially the Sierra Club trips :).
Wiebe is concentrating on his photography at this time and is not currently active on social media. He does plan to have a website together in the near future.
My photos can be seen at https://www.jeffgottesmanphotography.com/
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Joyce Harlan
Allen Johnson
I have always loved photography! First to document and save photos of my sons. We had little to no money for film developing in the beginning but I kept shooting. Every year my husband would ask me what I wanted for Christmas/birthday and I would always say “develop my film”!! After several years he finally did, but everything was yellow but the memories were there. From there, when I was coaching downhill skiing for Westside Special Olympics, I took photos of my athletes and created a book for each of them. The pure joy I saw on their and their family’s faces was priceless!
I'm a PhD in psychology with a passion for photography. I'm also the author of several books: a memoir on France entitled "Pardon My French" and two novels: "The Awakening" and "Spike, Benny, and Boone."
Finally, I was at Mammoth skiing with my family (grandkids!!) and we had lunch at Bergers Burgers. They had the most gorgeous landscape photos on they walls. I asked the waitress about them and she said they were by Vern Clevenger and that he often came in for lunch after skiing and she would point him out for me. She did, I asked about workshops and he said “absolutely”. That was it!! I took one workshop from him and many, many more with Mountain Light in Bishop with Jack Dykinga, John Shaw, Jerry Dodrill, David Meunch and Jeff Foote. One of the most memorable was their ten day inaugural rafting the Grand Canyon trip with Jack & Jerry. Over the years I have been blessed to travel the world with Muench Workshops (Cuba, Yukon, Mongolia, Alaska) Visionary Wild (Botswana, Kenya, Patagonia, Greenland), Aurora Expenditions (Antarctica), and Nathaniel Smalley (Iceland, Maine fall color). Photography mixed with travel has been my favorite soul food for a long, long time. And will continue to be for as long as I am able. Sadly, I am missing a trip to China in April and Uganda in June to see the gorillas. But I’ll get there as soon as it is safe again.
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Butch Mazzuca
John Nilsson
I was born in Chicago IL and attended the University of Dayton. After graduation I served four and half years as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps.
I have a fond memory from my early years of my father dragging me to the Denver Museum of Natural History on a winter Sunday afternoon. He had just purchased a Bosely 35mm camera and had decided he wanted desperately to photograph one of the dioramas. I distinctly remember the display was of several Seal Lions in a beautiful blue half-light of the Arctic winter that required a tricky long exposure. The transparency he showed me several weeks later was spectacular and mysterious to my young eyes. Although the demands of Medical School made this photo one of the first and last he shot, at 5 years old I was hooked.
My last official ‘work' position was President & CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co-Denver. I Retired in 1999 and moved to Vail where I taught skiing, a “fundamentals of photography” class at our local community college and wrote (still do) commentary for the Vail Daily Newspaper. I Started taking pictures in 2008 when my wife Bobbi “talked me” into traveling to Africa (we returned seven more times! ) My images have been published in Shutter Bug Magazine, Sarasota Magazine, Travel Africa Magazine (5 times) and Africa Geographic (6 times including two photo essays) I consider myself a generalist although African wildlife and landscape photography are my favorites.
The arrival of the digital age brought photography back to me as a conscious endeavor - first as a pastime enjoyed with friends who were also afflicted, and then as a practitioner of real estate and architectural photography during my 40 years as a real estate broker. Since retiring and moving to Los Angeles, I have continued my hobby as a nature and landscape photographer through active membership in the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Camera Committee and my vocation as a real estate photographer through my company Oz Images LA. The camera is now a tool for adventure!
www.OzImagesLA.com dtlanow@gmail.com
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David DesRochers
Larry Miller
In the summer of 2000, David traveled from New Jersey to Montana to visit Glacier National Park. With camera in hand, he attempted to capture the amazing wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Although his photos were somewhat disappointing, the experience inspired him to study the art of photography and travel the world to witness and capture the wonders of our natural world.
I bought my first SLR camera in 1985 to document hikes in the local mountains that I did with friends. My first Sierra Club Camera Committee outing was a wildflower photo shoot in the Santa Monica Mountains led by Steve Cohen in 1991. Since then the SCCC has introduced me to many other scenic destinations, including the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, the Gorman hills, Saddleback Butte State Park, East Mojave National Preserve, the Eastern and Southern Sierras, Point Reyes, the Big Sur Coast, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Red Rock Canyon State Park, Tejon Ranch, and Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. At the same time, my own photography trips gradually expanded in scope over the years to include most of the western National Parks and National Monuments, with the Colorado Plateau becoming a personal favorite.
David is a member of the North American Nature Photography Association and an Associate Naturalist with The New Jersey Audubon Society. Over the past 15 years, David has shared his knowledge teaching workshops, leading tours, and writing articles. David’s photos have been recognized in several international competitions and have been published in books, magazines and on calendars. David is an accomplished public speaker and has appeared at events including the New England Camera Club Council Annual Conference (2014 & 2016), the Connecticut Association of Photographers and New Jersey Audubon's Birding Festival.
Photography is an avocation that took a backseat to my career during the 32+ years that I worked as a radar systems engineer at Hughes Aircraft/ Raytheon Company. Since retiring in 2013, I’ve been able to devote more time to developing my photographic skills. Experiencing and sharing the beauty of nature continues to be my primary motivation.
David's experience judging photo competitions has taken him as far as Budoia, Italy to judge the Bio Photo Contest. In 2014, David was awarded the New Jersey Federation of Camera Clubs Citation in recognition for his contributions to the advancement of the art and science of photography in the state.
www.desrochersphography.com
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Thomas Loucks Tom has been a longstanding amateur photographer, but only in recent years has he had more serious time to devote to the hobby. He garnered first place in National Audubon’s 2004 Nature’s Odyssey contest and has placed well in several contests by Nature’s Best, Denver Audubon’s Share the View, and the Merrimack Valley’s George W. Glennie Nature Contest. He has two images of “Alumni Adventurers” on permanent display at Dartmouth College. He is also the incoming President of Mile High Photo Club in Denver (2021-2022) where he currently serves as VP and as a Director. His photographic interests are landscape, wildlife, and travel photography, though his favorite subjects are alpine landscapes. Recently retired, Tom is looking forward to spending more time on photography and other outdoor activities. He recently signed up as a volunteer with Denver Audubon to assist with field trips and hopes that those will soon resume.
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Basil Katsaros A native of Denver, Colorado, I first attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Not understanding humidity or seeing the sun for 30 days, I transferred to the University of Colorado. During my junior year, a roommate needed money and sold me his Pentax 35mm camera. That moment launched my interest in photography. My interests and knowledge were expanded by the Nikon School of Photography. In the earlier days, subject matter centered around my twin sons with travel photos and Christmas cards. As a real estate appraiser, I used photography in much of my work. I must admit, however, the 70’s primarily utilized a Polaroid as film was too time consuming for client demands. I have since graduated to two Nikon digital cameras and too many lenses. While attempting to downshift in work, I occasionally use my photography skills to testify as an expert witness in real estate. My interests include travel, landscape, and wildlife photography. I’m not smart enough to have a website, maybe someone can show me how. Most images are for personal enjoyment and mainly remain in my computer. My goal at this time is too not only become a better photographer, but to conquer Photoshop!!!
Peter Bennett
Karen Schuenemann
My mother’s father was a studio photographer on the Coney Island Boardwalk, my father’s father was an artist in Germany, and my father was a filmmaker and amateur still photographer in New York, so naturally I decided to pursue a career in music. Luckily after hearing the error of my ways, I picked up my father’s old Nikkormat and haven’t looked back since.
Karen Schuenemann is a Nature and Wildlife photographer frequently found exploring the parks and wetlands of Southern California. In 2015, she left her retail management job to pursue her passion for Wildlife Photography. Her work focuses on “Urban Wilderness” and she spent over 100 days photographing the Red Foxes in her neighborhood in 2020 during the COVID 19 pandemic. She recently was awarded a Highly Commended Award-Bird Behavior in the 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year sponsored by the London Natural History Museum. Her work was exhibited in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Summit in 2019. In 2017 she was the Professional Honorable Mention in the National Audubon Contest. Her work has hung in the London Natural History Museum and has been included in shows at the San Diego Natural History Museum, The G2 Gallery, Palos Verdes Art Center and Armenia Conservation Show. She has been published in Nature’s Best, Audubon Magazine, USA Today, NANPA, Shadow and Light Magazine, and American Photo Magazine. In addition, she has garnered numerous awards from Best in Show in Los Angeles County Fair to Honorable Mention in the National Park Contest. She enjoys writing about her photographic adventures and has written articles for NANPA and enjoyed being a judge in several photography contests. She was the 2019 President for the Photography and Digital Artists group of the Palos Verdes Art Center and was the volunteer Faculty Coordinator for the NANPA High School Scholarship Program in Tennessee. She currently leads workshops to a variety of locations from Bosque Del Apache, to the Grand Tetons to Africa and Central America with her company, Wilderness At Heart Photography, LLC. She enjoys teaching classes at Samy’s Cameras in Los Angeles and Tuttle Cameras in Long Beach.
From 1998 to 2014 I ran my own stock agency, Ambient Images, which specialized in photos of New York and California. In 2015 I formed Citizen of the Planet, LLC, devoted exclusively to the distribution of my stories and work that focus on environmental subjects such as water and air quality issues, fossil fuels, drought, green construction, alternative energies and urban farming. My editorial work has appeared in numerous publications and books, and I am privileged to have my fine art prints hang in museums, the California State Capitol and many other private institutions and collectors. I’ve also had to opportunity to have worked with many local environmental organizations including FoLAR (Friends of the LA River), Heal the Bay, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Communities for a Better Environment, and the LA Conservation Corps. I have been an instructor for over ten years at the Los Angeles Center of Photography (formerly the Julia Dean Photo Workshops). I love teaching photography and having the opportunity to pass on what I was given from all the amazing teachers I’ve had the honor to learn from.
Karen currently celebrates life with her husband and two dogs in St. George, Utah. 91
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Bob Beresh
Bob Cates
Los Angeles is where commercial photographer Bob Beresh will always call home, but having recently relocated to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he is truly a global creative. His commercial photography includes work for clients in automotive, aviation, corporate executive and business portraiture, architecture, and product work. Bob’s photos are influenced by his observations in nature, travel and sports to deliver memorable images.
Bob Cates led his first Camera Committee outing in 1975 as co-leader with Allan Der, so his roots go way back. He has chaired the Angeles Chapter History Committee since the mid-70s, and as such has archived tens of thousands of photographic images, many from his own documentation of Club outings, but also images donated from hundreds of Club members. He is primarily a nature/landscape photographer, but is also drawn to macrophotography— primarily of botanical subjects. Since 2015 he has lived in Pasadena and frequently may be found haunting the grounds of the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens.
Bob served two years as US Forest Service Artist in Residence to interpret and showcase the beauty of the Angeles National Forest and is past Chairman of the Sierra Club Camera Committee, Angeles Chapter.”
bentriver.com bobbereshstudio.com
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Red Winged BlackBird - Great Salt Lake, Utah
@2022 John Nilsson, All Rights Reserved
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Causes, Notes, and Announcements
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Notes and Announcements Joyce Harlan Writes: These pictures of Ukraine are just fabulous. Read below before you view the pictures.
Ukraine Beauty We live in a sad time. Unlike in wars of the past, the devastation that is being wreaked on a nation and its people comes to us almost in real time. Though there will ultimately be an end to the hostilities, the loss of innocent lives, the anger and resentment of the people of Ukraine at those losses and the loss of some of their heritage will not disappear quickly. I pray for courage and hope for the Ukrainian people and that hostilities will soon end. I never knew that Ukraine is such a beautiful country. It hurts to think that much of this beauty may now lie in ruins, and I pray for safety, not only for the people but for the country they love. The loss of beauty in this world is a loss shared by everyone. Here are some amazing photos of the beauty of Ukraine.*
https://www.boredpanda.com/beautiful-ukraine-pics/
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Peter Bennett Writes: Saturday, April 2 * 9 am - 12 pm
Peter Bennett will be giving a 3 hour class called “Taking Control of Your Lightroom Catalog - Tips, fixes, and settings to make your Lightroom life easier and more manageable.” *A simple and and easy to understand explanation of exactly how Lightroom works with your images. * How to find and re-link lost images. * Setting up an import system that provides you with consistent and manageable results. * Pulling back the curtain on Lightroom Catalog settings and preferences. * Working faster, smarter, and more efficiently with your images.
Sign up now with Los Angeles Center of Photography (no membership needed) https://lacphoto.org/events/taking-control-of-your-lightroom-catalog-with-peter-bennett-2022
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Get out there and get involved! Our natural world is under attack and we all need to fight to preserve the things that we hold dear.
CONTRIBUTE
YOUR TIME, YOUR DOLLARS.... OR BOTH! Do you know anyone who would like to become a member of the Sierra Club Camera Committee? We are seeking new members to share their outdoor experiences and photographs. If you have a friend or acquaintance whom you feel would benefit from and add to our membership, please ask them to join us at our next meeting.
Membership costs only $15.00 per year - a tremendous value! To join or renew, please mail a check for $15 (payable to SCCC): Joan Schipper - Membership 6100 Cashio St. Los Angeles, CA 90035 (Be sure to provide your address and email)
More members - More to share 99
The Members’ Choice Photo Contest What’s your favorite photo in this Focal Points Magazine? Continuing with this issue I am asking all members to vote for their favorite photo. Here’s how: 1. Please e-mail me at dtlanow@gmail.com (Heading: Member’s Choice) and let me know your choice for the best photo by the 20th of the month in which the issue is published. 2. In your e-mail, give me the page number, the name of the photographer, and a brief descrip- tion so I can identify your choice. I will tally up the votes and announce the winner in the next issue and republish the photo with a paragraph from the photographer about how it was captured, where, when, and even the dreaded mire of camera, settings and lens. This should be a fun feature!
..........John Nilsson, Publisher
Wanna Go on a Hike? Just in case you didn’t realize it........... The Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club has literally hundreds of outdoor activities that Sierra Club Camera Committee members can attend.
You can find these activities at http://angeles.sierraclub.org/activities If you have an idea for a trip that the Camera Committee might like to plan for, tell a leader. They are always open to ideas of new places to go, new places to shoot. See the end of the newsletter for a list of contact information for the leaders. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. To read the liability waiver before you participate on an outing, go to: http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms
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Focal Points
Angeles Chapter Camera Committee Magazine November 2020
Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Magazine December, 2020
Focal Points Sierra Club Camera Committee Magazine January 2021
Do you enjoy receiving your monthly copy of Focal Points Magazine, as well as full membership to the Sierra Club Camera Committtee and access to our extensive programming and trips? If your answer is "Yes" and you want to continue receiving Focal Points Magazine, please send your check for $15.00 and your full name and email address for a yearly subscription to: Sierra Club Camera Committee Joan Schipper - Membership 6100 Cashio St. Los Angeles, CA 90035 JoanSchipper@ixnetcom.com 323-828-8334 101
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Photo of the Month
Butch Mazzuca Balanced Rock
Nikon D850 Tamaron Sp70-200 @ 200mm ISO 200 F11@ 1/500 sec 100
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The Parting Shot
Dried Mud Vulture ©2022 John Clement, All Rights Reserved
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Leader Contacts Chair Joe Doherty Information.SCCC@gmail.com Programs Susan Manley SSNManley@yahoo.com
310-500-5696 323-901-7788
Treasurer Ed Ogawa Ed5ogawa@angeles.sierraclub.org Membership Joan Schipper* JoanSchipper@ixnetcom.com
323-828-8334
PublicationsEditor + Liaison
John Nilsson* FocalPoints.SCCC@gmail.com
213-266-2224
Communications Velda Ruddock VRuddock.SCCC@gmail.com Website Velda Ruddock Meetup Ed Ogawa Instagram Joan Schipper Facebook Open
310-500-5995
Outings co-chairs Joan Schipper* joanschipper@ixnetcom.com
323-828-8334
Alison Boyle* AlisoniBoyle@icloud.com
310-944-1019
Trip Leaders* Above and the following: Steve Anderson SAndersonImagery@outlook.com
714-614-7808
John Boyle JBoyle6300@gmail.com
310-828-6300
Carole Scurlock CScurlock@charter.net
626-794-5207
Allan Der ader@sprynet.com
714-653-8319
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